Regular Volunteer Opportunities

Do You Qualify?

1. Are you willing to make a monthly commitment of at least 8 hours per month for at least 6 months? The rota is sent out the week before the start of each month so you would need to be able to state your shift hours and days in advance of the month start.

2. You must have transportation directly to our rescue and rehoming centre. All bus routes only come within 1/2 to 2 miles from our rescue and rehoming centre and there are no footpaths on and leading up to Mount Venus Road so for the safety of our volunteers we ask that volunteers either drive themselves or get a lift directly to the centre.

3. Are you at least 16 years old or older? For insurance purposes all volunteers must be 16 years old or older. We cannot take any volunteers who are under 16 even with adult supervision.

4. New Health & Safety regulations require anyone working in Animal Welfare must have a current Tetanus shot so all new volunteers must be up to date with their Tetanus requirements.

Regular Volunteering Opportunities

Dog Treatment CentreWhen dogs are brought into the shelter they are placed in isolation units until they are seen by a vet or vet nurse. Animals with special conditions or that require kennel rest are also kept in isolation until they are ready for rehoming. A critical part of our work is keeping their kennels clean, giving them attention and activity and making sure that they are as comfortable as possible. You will receive training on how to clean the kennels and care for the dogs.

Dog Rehoming KennelsDog lovers are welcome to join us as a Dog Kennel volunteer where you will clean kennels, feed, walk and socialize dogs. Our brand new dog’s kennels or "doggy apartments" are open and we need lots of help to run them. We especially need help in the summer time as we no longer have the assistance of work experience students. We won't lie to you, it's a lot of hard work, but the animals need you and sure, we could all do with more exercise, right?

Cattery VolunteerDo you love cats and kittens? Then we invite you to work in our cattery. A cattery volunteer will do pod cleaning, litter tray cleaning, feeding and socializing with the cats and kittens. Kitten season starts in early Spring and lasts throughout the summer. During this time we receive a high number of cats and kittens and we need strong volunteer support to keep the pods in tip-top shape.

Adoption AssistantOur goal is to build lifelong relationships with our visitors and adopters. We do this by providing superior customer service from the moment they walk into our doors. It is our job to help people find their new best friend and to help pet owners care for their pets for a lifetime. Adoption Assistants work at the front desk and in the kennels helping guide visitors through their pet decision making process. These volunteers assist the public with their questions and improve the animals’ chances of adoption by promoting the animals’ strengths and providing quality customer service. Adoption Assistants are friendly, enthusiastic people who love working with animals and helping people.

Stable VolunteerDo you love horses, ponies or donkeys? The DSPCA is the only horse rescue in Dublin and we need help mucking out stables, giving feed and water to our animals and grooming of these equine especially during the winter months when grazing is limited

Yard & Grounds VolunteerWe can have over 400 animals onsite at any one time so we need help with doing maintenance, cleanup and keeping our grounds neat and tidy so if you don’t mind hard graft this is the job for you.

DSPCA Veterinary HospitalDSPCA Veterinary Hospital will shortly be reviewing applications for Volunteer Kennel Assistants. These positions will involve animal handling, basic cleaning duties, care of hospitalised inpatients and assisting the vets and nurses as required. This is an opportunity to gain hands on experience in a busy state of the art veterinary hospital. Volunteers are required to do a minimum of 2-3 shifts per week plus one Saturday per month and must be available to commit to a 3-6 month period. Shifts are Monday - Friday 9-3 and 3-8, and Saturday shifts are 9-5. Please note this is not a course/college work placement. Candidates must be over 18 and should have a background in animal care and/or intending on pursuing a career in this area. Please email applications including a cover letter and curriculum vitae to vetclinic@dspca.ie. Applications close August 16th 2013.